Култ Светог И Манастирска Економија: Прослављање Стефана Штиљановића У Шишатовцу Под Османском Влашћу

Abstract

The paper explores the relationship between the cult of a saint and the economy of the church/monastery safekeeping their relics, using the example of Stefan Štiljanović at Ottoman-controlled Šišatovac. It compares the evolution of his veneration, the time of modifying and adjusting the saint’s image, and the spread of his commemoration beyond the monastery, with data about the legal status of Šišatovac, the expansion of monastic estates, and its monks’ relationship with the local authorities. The findings have shown that fostering the veneration of Stefan Štiljanović was intertwined with the monastery’s economic progress: in some cases it preceded it while in others followed it. Thus, the celebration of saints proves to be an inextricable part of not only the spiritual but also of the economic life of the community safeguarding the cult.